GDA unveils manifesto with empowered local govts as main campaign promise

KARACHI: The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) on Friday unveiled a 10-point manifesto to contest the February 8 general elections in the country, mentioning the empowerment and autonomy of the district and local governments as one of its main campaign promises.

Speaking at a press conference to unveil the election manifesto, GDA Information Secretary Sardar Abdul Rahim said the alliance, after coming into power, would launch several development projects aimed at the welfare and wellbeing of the masses.

He informed the media persons that the manifesto of the GDA was thoroughly a pro-people document.

He said the GDA’s poll manifesto stood for the constitution of a District Finance Commission on the lines of the Provincial Finance Commission for the empowerment of the district governments.

He said the district governments and municipal agencies to be formed under the GDA’s manifesto would be fully empowered to steer affairs related to development projects, including the construction of road infrastructure, education, water supply, sewerage systems, education, health, farming affairs, and managing of the social sectors.

He said the manifesto stood for the formation of a modern Islamic welfare and democratic state on the principle of equality of all the people.

Sardar Rahim said the GDA, after coming into power, would strive to ensure economic stability, prosperity, non-violence, religious tolerance, and social justice in society. He said the society to be formed as per the vision of GDA’s manifesto would ensure protection of the honour and prestige of all the cultural, religious, ethnic, and sectarian groups.

He said the GDA, after coming into power, would also strive to protect workers from every form of exploitation while salaries of the labourers would be decided as per the prevailing inflation. He said the GDA would abolish the contract system of employment after coming into power to end the exploitation of the workers.

He told media persons that the alliance would ensure just distribution of the financial resources. He said the local candidates would get the foremost preference in getting admissions to the educational institutions and securing government jobs.

The GDA’s information secretary further said that the alliance, after coming into power, would ensure that elections would be held in a completely free and fair manner to strengthen the democratic dispensation in the country. He said the GDA would also declare an emergency in the education sector whose budgetary allocation would be increased every year. He said the GDA would also ensure the provision of employment opportunities to jobless youth in an honourable manner. He said that GDA after winning the polls would also strive for the maintenance of law and order and the elimination of the menace of street crime in Karachi.